I walked into work the other day listening to Running on Om’s podcast with Lauren Fleshman. It was a Q&A episode and one of the listeners asked how to manage big dreams and the demands of daily life.
I got to thinking about my own situation. I thought about my incredibly supportive fiancé and family, and reflected on how grateful I was for their support. I started thinking about all those nights I go to bed early to get up at dark-o-thirty to run in the morning. I thought about those weekend mornings I’m MIA on a long run. Or the impact it has on my ability to be *fun* on a Friday night. I’m sure many of you reading can relate.

I recall a few times groaning about getting up in the morning. G sympathizes, but ultimately encourages me to go. He knows how much running means to me. And more importantly, he knows how disappointed in myself I would be if I didn’t go. That said, last week when I was deciding not to do my long run, he was patient in listening to me deliberate and encouraged me to cut myself some slack.

Sometimes I wonder what it is I’m doing and if all of my work is worth it. Those thoughts are very few and far between, but I won’t lie that they never happen. It’s in those moments that the support of my family matters most. They keep me in check.

Running marathons really is about what you do in the dark. When you talk to a runner, or follow them on social media, you only see a small sliver of what goes on. The uncaptured moments are, for the most part, far from glamorous. There are missed Saturday morning brunches, or late night drinks. There are mundane days and compromise to be made. The truth is, when you register for marathon, and plan to put in the work, this is par for the course.

In the long run, I know that reaching my goals will ultimately depend on my hard work, but I would be kidding myself if I said I could do it without the support around me.